United States’ ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice seconded the official explanation from the Obama administration that the protests in the Middle East started because of an Internet video and were completely spontaneous:

JAY CARNEY: This is not a case of protests directed at the United States writ large or at U.S. policy. This is in response to a video that is offensive.

WALLACE: You don’t really believe that?

AMB. RICE: Chris, absolutely I believe that. Because, in fact, it is the case. We had the evolution of the Arab Spring over the last many months but what sparked the recent violence was the airing on the Internet of a very hateful very offensive video that has offended many people around the world. Now, our strong view is that there is no excuse for violence. It is reprehensible and never justified. But in fact there have been those in various parts of the world who have reacted with violence. Their governments have increasingly and effectively responded and protected our facilities and condemned the violence and this outrageous response to what is an offensive video. But there is no question what we have seen in the past with things like Satanic Verses and cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad there have been such things that have sparked outrage and anger and this has been the proximate cause.

Megarif says that over the past few months, foreigners took advantage of the security vacuum and flowed into the country from Mali and Algeria. I ask if this attack was over an anti-Muslim film that sparked violent protests across the Muslim world. He shakes his head.

“The idea that this criminal and cowardly act was a spontaneous protest that just spun out of control is completely unfounded and preposterous,” he says. “We firmly believe that this was a precalculated, preplanned attack that was carried out specifically to attack the U.S. Consulate.”

The attackers used the protesters outside the consulate as a cover, he says.

Sen. John McCain and Rep. Mike Rogers aren’t sold on the “spontaneous” claim either:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), also speaking on CBS, appeared to disagree with the suggestion that the attack was spontaneous. ”Most people don’t bring rocket propelled grenades and heavy weapons to a demonstration. That was an act of terror, and for anyone to disagree with that fundamental fact, I think is really ignoring of the facts,” said McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

House Intelligence Committee Mike Rogers (Mich.) echoed a similar sentiment on “Fox News Sunday.” He said: ”I’m just suspect that they could come to that conclusion so assuredly — that it was a spontaneous effort, given the coordination of it.”